It's remarkable how quickly Shopping Day rolls around again!
It really is noticeable how much easier it is to manage on a tight budget if you get into the routine of doing a regular shop on a particular day, rather than going out for just a few bits every few days...it's remarkable how often those 'few bits' turn into quite a lot of bits as you succumb to impulse buying, or buying without a list!
I'm certain that our shopping bill is getting smaller and smaller as we get better at spotting real bargains and at recognising the so-called savings that just don't add up.
Anyway, on to today's money-savers!
ALDI
A pack of 7 small bananas from the Dominican Republic is 99p.
Large Farmhouse Multigrain Batch Loaf is 85p, and among the best-tasting loaves of this type on the market, we reckon.
Among the 39p fruit and veg bargains are pointed cabbage, beetroot, and salad potatoes (Charlotte).
Their own-brand Swiss Style Muesli is 99p
And a big tray of Minced Beef was just £2.49. (Divided up and frozen for bolognese, cottage pie etc. Plenty for 3 meals for two people, maybe 4 if padded out with plenty of seasonal veg etc)
ICELAND
Still have bags of Frozen Veg of various kinds for £1. Weights vary, but most knock the supermarkets into a cocked hat for price. When they are this cheap you can buy a variety of veg where you might only be able to afford two or even one at supermarket prices.
They also still have tinned Fray Bentos Steak and Kidney Pie for £1.
MORRISONS
Moy Park Chicken Kievs Packs of two, £1.99 are on BOGOF again. Cheap and cheerful, a useful freezer standby.
Black Farmer Sausages/Chipolatas are 39p off, so £2. Really good quality, these sausages should be the star of a meal, not a limp excuse that you have to combine with bacon, eggs, tomatoes, beans and black pudding to take attention away from the fact that it's pig's squeak and bread in a skin!
Premier Deli Ham, the good stuff, any 2 for £2.
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Regular or Light versions, 60p.
Shippams Small Pastes (Beef, Crab, Salmon) 3 for £1.
Morrisons Simmer Soups (ie dried packet soup) 3 for 80p. Useful for adding to stews etc, and much cheaper than fancy casserole mixes or jars in sauces.
Morrisons Value Instant Custard Powder just 6p. Yes, 6p!Great to have in the cupboard for when you're too short of milk to make 'real' custard!
Morrisons also has a great range of British Grown apples, including my all-time favourite, the Egremont Russet!
Fortunately, we did pretty well today and have money left over for tomorrow when we go down to the market to see the Egg Man, and to BM and Aldi to pick up a few bits that were definitely cheaper there now we've had a chance to compare prices elsewhere!
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Sunday, 3 October 2010
The Obsession Continues...
Yet again, the kitchen has been fruity and steamy (ooh er, missus...) as I am determined to get my money's worth out of my jam-making kit!
Last Sunday we took a walk along to the ruins of the old Newhouses slums, and went foraging along the path to Arrowthwaithe Woods. We found plenty of rosehips and hawthorn berries, but the crab apples were out of reach and, disappointingly, there are no elderberry bushes in the area at all that we could find. We collected some hips and haws, and on Monday morning I set about combining them with our foraged blackberries (gathered before the 1st October when the Devil spits on them!) and yet more of next doors' apples to produce a few jars of Hedgerow Jelly.
And yesterday Dave went out into the garden and brought in the final harvest - some (mostly green) tomatoes, and a couple of peppers which I combined with apples and onions to make 'Last Pickings' Chutney. It was lovely to smell the fruits and the spices and the onions mingling with Aspall Cider Vinegar (from Suffolk, close to my roots!) and I would recommended chutney-making to anyone suffering from congestion - I don't think my sinuses knew what had hit them!
In all there are 14 jars of jams, jellies marmalades and chutneys in the pantry and my husband is muttering about needing to put up more shelves...!
Last Sunday we took a walk along to the ruins of the old Newhouses slums, and went foraging along the path to Arrowthwaithe Woods. We found plenty of rosehips and hawthorn berries, but the crab apples were out of reach and, disappointingly, there are no elderberry bushes in the area at all that we could find. We collected some hips and haws, and on Monday morning I set about combining them with our foraged blackberries (gathered before the 1st October when the Devil spits on them!) and yet more of next doors' apples to produce a few jars of Hedgerow Jelly.
And yesterday Dave went out into the garden and brought in the final harvest - some (mostly green) tomatoes, and a couple of peppers which I combined with apples and onions to make 'Last Pickings' Chutney. It was lovely to smell the fruits and the spices and the onions mingling with Aspall Cider Vinegar (from Suffolk, close to my roots!) and I would recommended chutney-making to anyone suffering from congestion - I don't think my sinuses knew what had hit them!
In all there are 14 jars of jams, jellies marmalades and chutneys in the pantry and my husband is muttering about needing to put up more shelves...!
Bargains for Cheese Addicts Only!
Because of my current obsession with jam-making, my husband ended up going shopping alone this week...!
We are well stocked up on most things so he only had to do a basic shop - hence no more attention than necessary was spent looking for bargains. David has yet to embrace shopping as a sport akin to Big Game Hunting, but rather as a necessary evil, to be done and recovered from as soon as possible!
But he did turn up a rather good bargain in the Cheese department at Morrisons, where their own 380g Mature Cheddar costing £3.49 is on a BOGOF. That's a whole lot of cheese for your money!
The big discovery this week was Dairyfine Chocolate at 79p per bar at Aldi. Unfortunately there is nothing left to check the weight of the bars (hem hem!) but they are a good size.
In our taste tests ( oh yes, very scientific...) we found that the Dark Chocolate bar was not bad at all for the price, good and chocolately and rich enough to be (relatively) long lasting.
The Milk Chocolate, on the other hand, was a real surprise. it doesn't pretend to be anything like the well-known market leaders, and instead has a hint of vanilla and caramel about it, slightly reminiscent of Caramac bars. Unusual, very pleasant, and unbelievably more-ish. And no, there isn't any more, ish or otherwise. Sorry.
We are well stocked up on most things so he only had to do a basic shop - hence no more attention than necessary was spent looking for bargains. David has yet to embrace shopping as a sport akin to Big Game Hunting, but rather as a necessary evil, to be done and recovered from as soon as possible!
But he did turn up a rather good bargain in the Cheese department at Morrisons, where their own 380g Mature Cheddar costing £3.49 is on a BOGOF. That's a whole lot of cheese for your money!
The big discovery this week was Dairyfine Chocolate at 79p per bar at Aldi. Unfortunately there is nothing left to check the weight of the bars (hem hem!) but they are a good size.
In our taste tests ( oh yes, very scientific...) we found that the Dark Chocolate bar was not bad at all for the price, good and chocolately and rich enough to be (relatively) long lasting.
The Milk Chocolate, on the other hand, was a real surprise. it doesn't pretend to be anything like the well-known market leaders, and instead has a hint of vanilla and caramel about it, slightly reminiscent of Caramac bars. Unusual, very pleasant, and unbelievably more-ish. And no, there isn't any more, ish or otherwise. Sorry.
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